From the Declaration to the Articles of Confederation

Grade 12 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Card C. Articles of Confederation (1781), Avalon Project text, two articles. Article II, exact words: “Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.” Article V, exact words: “In determining questions in the United States in Congress assembled, each State shall have one vote.”

2. 1.

   Under Card C, a small state and a large state (both made up) each send delegates to Congress. Bo asks how a question is decided.

   • The two states count the same, since each state keeps its sovereignty, freedom and independence
   • Each state has one vote, so the two states count the same
   • The large state wins any tie, since a state with more people has more power under the Articles
   • The large state has more votes, since Congress counts each delegate or each person separately

3. Use this

   Card B. Declaration of Independence (1776), National Archives transcript, three complaints against the King. Exact words: “He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.” “For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent” “For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury”.

4. 2.

   A colonist in 1776 complains that soldiers stay in town in time of peace and that no jury hears her neighbors' cases. Kira reads Card B. Which complaints match?

   • The Standing Armies alone, since a jury is not a complaint a colonist would raise
   • The Taxes without Consent and the Standing Armies, since soldiers cost money to keep
   • The Taxes without Consent and the loss of Trial by Jury, since both touch money and courts
   • The Standing Armies in peace and the loss of Trial by Jury

5. Use this

   Card B. Declaration of Independence (1776), National Archives transcript, three complaints against the King. Exact words: “He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.” “For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent” “For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury”. Card E. Constitution (1787), Article I, Section 8, first clause, National Archives transcript. Exact words: “The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States”. Card E also notes (summary in our words): Article I, Section 2 has the voters of each state choose the members of the House of Representatives.

6. 3.

   Cards B and E: the Declaration complained of “Taxes on us without our Consent.” The Constitution lets “The Congress” tax. Luz asks what answers the complaint.

   • The Constitution's authors wrote the clause after the Declaration, so it must fix the complaint
   • The Congress is a body the voters choose, so taxes come from representatives they elect
   • The tax clause lists taxes, duties and excises, so the colonists' complaint is already covered
   • The tax power is limited to paying debts and defense, so Congress may tax just in wartime

7. Use this

   Card A. Declaration of Independence (1776), National Archives transcript. Exact words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” and “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”. Card B. Declaration of Independence (1776), National Archives transcript, three complaints against the King. Exact words: “He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.” “For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent” “For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury”.

8. 4.

   A student says the Declaration contradicts itself: it wants consent but lists only complaints. Tala reads Cards A and B. What do the cards show?

   • Card B shows the King had no consent from any colonist in any matter
   • The complaints are the evidence that consent was missing, so Card B supports Card A
   • Card A lists rights and Card B lists taxes, so the two cards are about different things
   • Nothing, since a list of complaints is an opinion and Card A is a mere idea

9. Use this

   Card C. Articles of Confederation (1781), Avalon Project text, two articles. Article II, exact words: “Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.” Article V, exact words: “In determining questions in the United States in Congress assembled, each State shall have one vote.” Card D. Articles of Confederation (1781), Avalon Project text, Article VIII, exact words: “The taxes for paying that proportion shall be laid and levied by the authority and direction of the legislatures of the several States within the time agreed upon by the United States in Congress assembled.” Card E. Constitution (1787), Article I, Section 8, first clause, National Archives transcript. Exact words: “The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States”. Card E also notes (summary in our words): Article I, Section 2 has the voters of each state choose the members of the House of Representatives.

10. 5.

    Cards C, D and E: Jun compares who holds tax power under the Articles and under the Constitution. Which is correct?

    • Articles: Congress laid the taxes itself; Constitution: state legislatures laid them for Congress
    • Neither: the Articles let states keep their powers, so the Constitution's clause adds nothing
    • Both: state legislatures and Congress could tax equally under each document, side by side
    • Articles: state legislatures laid taxes for Congress's share; Constitution: Congress can lay them itself

11. Use this

    Card F (summary in our words, not a quotation). The Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776) gave the reasons the thirteen colonies were separating from Britain. The Articles of Confederation were Congress's plan for a national government; they took effect in 1781 when the last of the thirteen states approved them. The Constitution was signed in September 1787 and began to take effect in 1788.

12. 6.

    Card F gives dates. Noah asks which came first: the Articles taking effect, or the Constitution beginning to take effect.

    • They began together, since the Declaration promised both plans of government in the same year
    • The Constitution came first, since it is the document the United States still uses today
    • The Declaration came last, since it announced the Constitution's ideas in 1776 and so completed them
    • The Articles took effect in 1781 and the Constitution in 1788, so the Articles came first

13. Use this

    Card C. Articles of Confederation (1781), Avalon Project text, two articles. Article II, exact words: “Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.” Article V, exact words: “In determining questions in the United States in Congress assembled, each State shall have one vote.”

14. 7.

    A made-up town meeting reads Article II of the Articles. Milo asks what the words “not … expressly delegated” mean for a power the Articles do not list.

    • The power belongs to the people directly, since the Articles name the people before the states
    • The power goes to Congress, since the Articles gave Congress every power the states did not use
    • The power is shared equally by Congress and the state, since the Articles joined the states in a union
    • The power stays with the state, since Congress holds only the powers the Articles expressly give it

15. Use this

    Card D. Articles of Confederation (1781), Avalon Project text, Article VIII, exact words: “The taxes for paying that proportion shall be laid and levied by the authority and direction of the legislatures of the several States within the time agreed upon by the United States in Congress assembled.”

16. 8.

    A student says, “Card D shows Congress could not get any money.” Pia reads Card D. What does it show?

    • Nothing, since a single article of a plan says little about how that plan worked
    • That nine States had to assent to taxes, since nine States are named in the Articles
    • That state legislatures laid the taxes; it does not say how much money came in
    • That Congress got no money, since a state could refuse to tax its people

17. Use this

    Card B. Declaration of Independence (1776), National Archives transcript, three complaints against the King. Exact words: “He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.” “For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent” “For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury”. Card A. Declaration of Independence (1776), National Archives transcript. Exact words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” and “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”.

18. 9.

    A student says, “Because Card B lists a complaint about juries, the Declaration says every colony had jury trials.” Zee reads Cards A and B. What do they show?

    • That jury trial was taken away in many cases, not that the practice was uniform across the colonies
    • That the right to a jury is one of the “unalienable Rights”, since Card A names three rights
    • That each colony had jury trials, since the complaint says benefits were taken in many cases
    • Nothing about juries, since the Declaration was a political paper and not a record

19. Use this

    Card F (summary in our words, not a quotation). The Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776) gave the reasons the thirteen colonies were separating from Britain. The Articles of Confederation were Congress's plan for a national government; they took effect in 1781 when the last of the thirteen states approved them. The Constitution was signed in September 1787 and began to take effect in 1788. Card C. Articles of Confederation (1781), Avalon Project text, two articles. Article II, exact words: “Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.” Article V, exact words: “In determining questions in the United States in Congress assembled, each State shall have one vote.”

20. 10.

    A student says, “The Articles lasted from 1777 to 1781.” Ren reads Cards C and F. What do the cards show?

    • That the Articles did not take effect, since a plan needs the last state to approve it first
    • That they lasted from 1777, since an approved plan is in effect from the day of approval
    • That the Articles took effect in 1781; the cards do not date their approval in Congress
    • That they ended in 1788, since the Constitution began to take effect that year